What people find when they search.
WHY IT MATTERS
Most people assess a business by searching before contacting it.
WHAT TO ESTABLISH
What appears when your business is searched.
HOW
Search it, regularly, including variations and misspellings.
WHAT TO CONTROL
Your own website and its accuracy Your listings on directories and maps Your social accounts
WHY LISTINGS MATTER
They frequently appear above your own site and they contain errors.
WHAT TO VERIFY
Address, hours, telephone number and description, on every listing.
WHAT TO DO ABOUT ABANDONED ACCOUNTS
Reclaim or remove them.
WHY
They appear in results and they suggest neglect.
WHAT TO MONITOR
Mentions of your business name Reviews Forum and social discussion
HOW
Periodic searching, and alerts where available.
WHAT TO RESPOND TO
Reviews, both favourable and critical.
WHY FAVOURABLE ONES TOO
It demonstrates attention.
WHAT TO SAY TO CRITICAL REVIEWS
Acknowledgement, what you have done, and an invitation to contact you.
WHAT NOT TO SAY
Disputes about facts Anything identifying the customer Anything defensive
WHY
Future customers read the response more closely than the complaint.
WHAT TO DO ABOUT FALSE REVIEWS
Report them to the platform, with evidence.
WHAT TO NEVER DO
Write false reviews Pay for reviews Ask staff to post as customers
WHY
It is detected, and the consequences exceed any benefit.
WHAT BUILDS ONLINE REPUTATION
Consistently satisfied customers, asked to say so.
